A senior court psychologist has labelled Queensland’s practice of housing youth detainees in the same facility as adult prisoners as nothing short of child abuse.

Andrea Bates wrote an open letter to colleagues and government officials about the conditions at the Cairns Police Watch House where children are kept along with adult offenders.

The letter also reveals several children are being housed in a single cell without fresh air for days and are forced to shower and urinate in front of each other.

Image: Image: Shutterstock – Marcel van den Bos

Produced By: Frank Bonaccorso

Featured In Story: Andrea Bates – Senior Court Psychologist

First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 24 January 2024